Improvement in trunk hinges and guards



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Trunk-Hinges 'and Guards.

N0. 146,955, Patentedln.27,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

WILLIAM B. SOFIELD, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

lMPRovEMENT IN TRUNK HlNcEs AND cuARbs.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,955. dated January 27, 1874; application tiled December 27, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. SOFIELD,

of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and- State of New Jersey, have invented Improvements in Trunk-Hinges, of which the following is a specication:

afforded of applying a stay to hold the lid open while the trunk is being packed or unpacked. y

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a truuk having these improved hinges applied to it. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the hinges detached,

and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through one of the leaves of the hinge, as indicated by dotted line :v a' in Fig. 2, including the contiguous parts of the trunk itself.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A and B indicate the two leaves of each hinge. Eachis composed of two portions that extend at right angles to each other and fit one corner of the trunk-the lea-f A near the top edge of the trunk-body C, andthe leaf B near the bottom edge of the cover D. They are secured in place by screws to the sides and ends of the trunk-body and its cover, as shown in Fig. l of the drawing. The portions of the two leaves that t against the back portion of the trunk are furnished with the usual intervening eye-shaped lugs for the reception of the pivot or pintle which unites them. Their other portions, on the contrary, are flush at their meeting-edges, and have in their inner sides recesses or cavities a a leading nearly to their meeting edges, and other narrow notch-like recesses b b that lead from the aforesaid recesses c a through to the edges. These, when the hinge is in place, form, in conjunction with the adjacent portions of the from the working of the stay directly against the trunk.

The shape of the stay used in the hinge is approximately the quadrant of a circle struck from the center of the hinge-pintle, but it is slightly longer, and on its ends has two hooks, which prevent them from being drawn through the narrow recesses b I) extending through the meeting edges of the side portions of the two leaves, A and B, of the-hinge. These hooks preclude the raising of the trunk-covers more than slightly beyond an upright position, and, therefore, it is retained open while the trunk is being packed or unpacked. When the cover is closed the ends of the stay slide into the large cavities a a, and remain there until the trunk is opened aga-1n.

The great merit of this stay consists in the simplicity attained in the mode of applying it to the trunk, there being no mechanism or devices liable to become deranged, and, in consequence thereof, to interfere with the facile manipulation of the trunk-cover. Besides, this is an extremely strong stay, and, owing' to its extended reach forward, it stays the cover relatively to the body of the trunk, and, in a measure, obviates the necessity for the bolts usually employed for this purpose.

The corners of these leaves have projecting abutment-like pieces E E cast on them to form fenders that protect the corners of the trunk, and the hinge also, from injury, which otherwise they might sustain from a blow or con` cussion in being loaded on express-wagons, railway-cars, and other vehicles for transit. The adjacent ends of the fenders are chamfered oit' to permit the cover of the trunk to open. (See Fig. l.)

These hinges have great merit, for, aside from the advantages before enumerated of providing fenders and atiording convenience for applying :t stay, the)v forni extreniely` the trunk-body and its Cover, provided with strong corner-braces, which strengthen the fenders EE to protect the corners, and With junction of the sides and ends of the trunk a sta-y, G, substantially as Set forth.

land its cover, and thereby very materially enhance the Strength and durability of the XX B SOFIELD trunk. litnesses That I ehtim :Ls my invention EDWIN 1l. BROWN,

The trunk-hinge, forming @mixer-braces to l MTCHAEL RYAN. 

